DETROIT, Mich. – July 31, 2014 – On July 30, 2014, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) granted certification to the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law's Intellectual Property Clinic. UDM joins 46 other law schools to receive USPTO certification. UDM law students will draft and file patent applications for clients and gain experience answering Office Actions and communicating with patent examiners regarding the IP Clinic's applications. The selection committee chose UDM's Intellectual Property Clinic based on its solid IP curriculum, pro bono legal services to the public, and community networking and outreach efforts.

In 2012, the USPTO chose Detroit as the location for its first satellite office outside of its Alexandria, Virginia central headquarters. The Elijah J. McCoy Satellite Office in Detroit employs more than a hundred patent examiners, and Detroit and its surrounding communities are home to one of the largest concentrations of IP attorneys in the United States.

UDM Law is located in the heart of Detroit's resurgent downtown core. Its students take classes in cutting-edge areas of the law and extern at some of Detroit's most innovative companies, which are located within a close radius of its Riverfront Campus. According to UDM Law Dean Phyllis L. Crocker, "We are in the heart of downtown Detroit and just a short walk from the USPTO and numerous highly-regarded IP law firms. The IP Clinic exemplifies our commitment to Detroit and to preparing our students to be excellent ethical attorneys ready to represent clients and serve their communities."

UDM developed its IP Clinic to respond to the rapid rise of Detroit's creative class in recent years, as inventors, engineers, and artists have been drawn to the Motor City and the hard-fought optimism that characterizes this moment in Detroit's 313-year history. Forbes magazine ranked Detroit one of the most creative cities in 2014 based, in part, on the number of artists and musicians who live in the area.

The IP Clinic builds on the solid curriculum UDM Law, working in concert with the Intellectual Property Law Institute, offers in the areas of patent, copyright, and trademark law. In their work in the IP Clinic, UDM law students will learn the nuances of this highly complex area of law and hone the skills they need to work with their clients to bring their ideas to life and to protect the fruits of their talent from being misused or stolen.

UDM is pleased to be one of a select group of law schools to have an IP clinic with USPTO certification and looks forward to working with the USPTO to educate a new generation of dedicated and caring IP attorneys.

EVENTS

Our annual McElroy Lecture provides a forum for prominent thinkers and leaders to address fundamental issues of law, religion, and society. It seeks to educate students, legal professionals, and the public on a variety of questions related to moral philosophy, freedom of conscience, the interaction of legal and religious institutions, and the role of religion in public life. Its goal is to encourage discussion of these issues in our community and deepen our understanding of them. This year's lecturer is Professor Nelson Tebbe of Brooklyn Law School. His topic is "Religion and Social Coherentism: A Progressive Theory of Religious Freedom." The lecture will be held on Wednesday, March 4, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Room 226 of the School of Law, followed by a complimentary reception in the atrium. Complimentary parking will be available in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of MI parking garage nearby at 611 Congress Street. Additional details may be found in the Event Flyer.

Find out why men and women have been choosing UDM Law for over 100 years for their legal education. Learn how UDM Law not only teaches you the law, but teaches you how to be a lawyer. Through your education here, you will become a lawyer who makes a difference in your workplace and your community.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the campus and speak with admissions representatives, faculty, and current students.

NEWS

Dual JD student Christopher Macaulay competed in the 2015 Niagara International Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C., as a member of the University of Windsor team. The team placed first overall in the competition, Christopher won Fourth Best Advocate, and the team won awards for Best Team Applicant Argument Runner-Up and Best Team Applicant Memorial (tied for first place). The problem dealt with immigration, human rights, and Great Lakes environmental law issues.

Professor J. Richard Broughton will present at a symposium hosted by the Journal of Public Law and Policy at Hamline University School of Law in Saint Paul, MN, on March 27 entitled, “The Death Penalty Debate in America: Effectiveness, Fairness, Constitutionality, and Other Considerations.” This symposium will gather scholars, policy makers, activists, and community members to discuss capital punishment in America both at the state and federal level. Professor Broughton will discuss various constitutional and policy arguments in favor of capital punishment.

UDM Law will freeze tuition for all current and incoming students for the 2015 – 2016 academic year. "At UDM Law, we are committed to the success of each student," said UDM School of Law Dean Phyllis L. Crocker. "Our hope is that freezing tuition at current levels will relieve some of the financial burden on our students."

Eyad Fakhoury, a third-year law student and President of the Student Bar Association, commented on the School's announcement: "A tuition freeze is a step in the right direction and is very important to UDM Law students because it alleviates one of our many concerns and stresses of law school. It is essential for our students to plan ahead with budgets, and this tuition freeze makes our legal education more affordable and predictable. This freeze shows UDM Law's focus on the lowest cost, highest value education."

On February 9, Professor J. Richard Broughton commented in Law360, a national legal news service, on Alabama Chief Justice Roy S. Moore's decision to order local probate judges to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to stay the unions.

Thirteen UDM first-year law students assisted attorneys from Legal Aid and Defender Association, Neighborhood Legal Services, and Detroit Center for Family Advocacy at a Clinic UDM Law hosted at Ss. Peter & Paul Jesuit Warming Center on January 15. The students and attorneys provided information and individual consultations to 35 guests on housing related matters. Additionally, Sydney Booth ('14), a participant in UDM's Solo and Small Firm Incubator Program, introduced her newly formed law firm, Rushing Law, and conducted a short presentation on Criminal Expungement.

Professor Larry Dubin recently commented in The Detroit News on two high profile federal cases. First, he discussed the DeBoer case, which challenges Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on January 16 that it would accept the case. Professor Dubin stated in part, "Public opinion has shifted greatly, making this an issue that needs to be resolved due to the conflicting federal law that now exists."

On January 23 and 25, Professor Dubin discussed the Kazan case, in which a Muslim woman filed suit against the City of Dearborn Heights and its police department, alleging that her constitutional rights were violated when she was forced to remove her hijab when she was booked by a male officer for a traffic violation. Professor Dubin noted that the case involves conflicting rights: "Ms. Kazan is entitled under the First Amendment protection of her religious beliefs including the wearing of a hijab, which may cover part of her face. However, the police have the right to process a person who is being arrested."